1. Clear structure

The most important thing to do when taking over any department is to clarify or realign the organizational structure. The key to the structure is that it must be clear who is in what position and responsible for what content.

By "clear" I mean:

It is not permissible for two people to be cross-responsible!

Collective leadership is also not allowed!

No areas of ambiguity are allowed!

When something goes wrong, it is clear to everyone who should come out and take the blame. When achievements are made, it is also clear who gets the credit.

2. Clear objectives

The leader is not the one who decides how to climb the ladder! He is the one who decides on which wall to put the ladder.

So he must clearly point out this direction and communicate it to the entire team. If this is not done properly, the best team will not come up with good results.

3. No authority, no responsibility

There is no such thing as letting a horse run and not letting it graze.

You have clearly delegated your requirements, you have to clearly authorize and commit resources to him. Otherwise, the responsibility for what goes wrong is not his, but yours.

One of the key responsibilities of a supervisor is to solve problems for subordinates that they can't solve. And what you can provide, really, is power and resources. Use them well.

4. Visualization

The biggest problem with having a big team is this: you don't see the problem.

Even if the team is still small, assembling a portfolio of visualization tools and processes is a must. This way your team is scalable enough.

You don't really need to keep track of what everyone on your team is doing on a daily basis, but you do need to have the ability to see that. That way you have first-hand knowledge of what's going on when things go wrong. And the efficiency and quality of execution will improve as team members know that their stuff "might be seen".

Visualization also means "symmetry of information". All of the above tools and processes ensure that team members are aware of "what's new in the project" at the lowest possible cost. Fast and accurate responses are guaranteed.

5. Flatness

Don't set too many levels in doing things. Make sure that the person in charge of any given thing has direct access to the one who can take the shot.

6. Segmentation and appropriate intermediate outcome checks

Splitting a large project into multiple points in time to do inspections can be an effective way to manage risk.

Make sure that the results of your inspection are not false. Always require visible, preferably touchable products. Introduce some agile management methods to ensure this.

7. Advance requests for commitments

One thing that is often overlooked in management is the lack of commitment required from team members in advance. A "task assigned from above" is often not well done. The same cannot be said for a project that is "promised to be done well". Although it may well be the same thing.

8. Don't try to change a person

People are not unchangeable, but they often don't fit cost-wise in companies.

It's useless if a person doesn't do well in his position, even if he's capable but always unfulfilled. It's better to let the right person do the right thing.

9. Results, not excuses

There are only two outcomes to things at work: getting it done, or not getting it done.

If it didn't work out, what I want to hear is what was the damage? Is there a way to make it right? What kind of help do you need?

As for why you screwed up, what's in the middle of the dogfight? Don't report back to me. There's no point in reporting these things after the fact.

10. Continuous improvement

"Improvement" is one of the centers of the Toyota Management System. The world is changing rapidly, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Observe your team, identify problems, and keep improving.